Railway stock-guard.



A. D. MADDOX.

RAILWAY STOCK GUARD.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT- 30, 1915.

1 1 9 1,0 1 4. Patented July 11, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

A. D. MADDOX. RAILWAY STOCK GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 30, I915.

Patented July 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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fizz- 25 ALBERT DAVID MADnoX, or MCKENZIE, rnmvnssnn.

RAILWAY STOCK-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 30, 1915. Serial No. 53,324.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT D. MADDOX, a citizen of the United States, residing at McKenzie, in the county of Carroll and -State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Railway- Stock-Guards, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to railway gates, and pertains especially to railway stock or cattle guards applicable to various railways and operated by a locomotive or railway train for swinging the gate or guard in depressed or open position. i

The object of the invention is to provide a self-closing cattle guard or gate construction of novel and peculiar combination and in means for swinging the gate or guard to closed position. I

A further object of the invention is to provide special means of novel and peculiar construction having swinging standards connected with a gate anda pair of car wheel rail treads for throwing the gate to open position, and to furnish special arrangement of means for returning the gate to closed position.

Various other objects, advantages and im-' proved results are attainable in the practical application of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application :Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the gate as depressed or thrown open. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the gate in raised or closed position. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the dotted line A-A Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional view taken on the dotted line BB Fig. 1, with the gate in closed position as in Fig. 2.- Fig. 5 is a perspective view of part of a crank lever. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of part of the gate. Fig. 7 is a sectional perspective view of a modification. Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing a modified application of the springs.

The same reference characters denote the same parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The invention is shown as applied to the railway rails 1, supported by the usual railway ties 2. The gate comprises a base bar 3 having U-shaped dropped portions t through which the rails 1 extend, and said portions 4 are journaled at 5, upon the under side of the rails 1, so as to afliord pivot or swinging movement of the gate, as will be hereinafter explained. Each end of the bar 3 projects outwardly from the rails 1, and said ends areprovided with flexible tangs 6, and like -tangs.7 are secured to the portion of the bar 3 between the rails 1. The tangs 7 are PatentedJuly 11, 1916.

braced by a bar 8 havingpivot ends 9 upon l which a pair of tread rails 10 is centrally mounted. The rails 10 are connected by a plurality of crank levers'arranged in an inner pairand an outer pair. The inner levers 11 have a central contact arm 12, and

the outer levers 13 have a similar strike arm 14: longer than the arms 12. Each of said levers is pivoted at 15 to'the under side of the rails 10, and said levers are journaled in bearings 16, on certain of the ties 2. All of said levers being of the same construction except as to the length of the arms, only one of the levers will be described in detail. A journal 17 is formed in each end of the levers for the tie bearing 16, the crank-arms 19 have ajournal20 for the bearings 21 of the tread rails, and the contact arms 12 and 1 1 project parallel with the crank arms 19. The crank-arms are of such length as to hold the tread rails 10 above and between the rails 1, and'thereby leave a space between the rails l and the rails 10, and there is sulficient space between the crank-arms and the rails 1, for free operation of the crank-arms and of the rails 10, when the engine and train wheels run over the rails 10 for depressing the rails 10, and thereby swinging the gate or guard down between the track rails into open position.

The means for returning the rails 10, and the lever arms to vertical position and thereby raising the gate to closed position simultaneously with the passing of a train from the rails 10, comprises a pair of coil springs 22, attached to a block 23 fixed centrally to and between a pair of ties which are adjacent to the gate or guard so that the block shall be centrally under the gate-bar 3. One of the springs is located on one side of the bar 3 and has an arm 24 engaging the side of the bar 3, and the other, spring is located on the other side of the bar 3 and has an arm 25 engaging the opposite side of the bar 3, so that the spring arms 24 and 25 cross each other under the bar 3, and have overlapping engagement with the bar 3, when and thereby contracts its spring, and when the train wheels leave the tread rails 10, the expansion of the springs raises the gate or guard to vertical or closed position.

It will be observed that one or the other of the spring arms 24 and 25 follow the swinging movement of the gate according to the direction of said movement, so that the return of the gate to vertical or closed position is instantaneous with the release of the rails 10 by the train Wheels. It will also be observed that the tread rails are elevated above the track and thereby prevent the tread, rails from becoming choked with the track rails by reason of Weather conditions or foreign objects or matter which might impair or prevent the operation of the device. The gate tangs are attached so that in the event of breaking they may be replaced.

Referring to the modification shown in Fig. 7, the strike arm 26 is separate from the lever 27, and is attached thereto by means of a semicircular arm head 28 fitting and secured to the lever by screws 29. This ar rangement permits strike arms of various lengths to be used, as desired or as occasion may demand.

Referring to the modification shown in Fig. 8, the springs 30 are secured to ties 31 adjacent to the gate or guard, and said springs have special gate engaging arms 32.

i I do not wish to be understood as confining my invention to any particular size or material in the construction of the various parts, nor to the number of strike arms, but reserve the right to make such changes therein in the practical application of the invention, as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is V 1. In a railway stock guard, a plurality of crank-levers journaled on certain of the railway ties, a train strike-arm projecting centrally from each lever, a gate pivoted under the railway rails and extending across a railway track, a pair of wheel-tread rails pivoted to the levers and to the gate, and a pair of springs having upwardly projecting arms engaging the sides of, the gate for reversing the movement of the gate, the spring arms normally retaining the gate and strike arms in substantially vertical position.

2. In a railway stock guard, a gate pivoted to extend across a railway track, a pair of spaced crank arms on one side of the gate, a pair of spaced crank arms on the other side of the gate, a pair of wheel-tread rails pivoted to said cranks and to the gate, a spiral spring located at each side of the gate, and a vertical arm projecting from each spring and engaging opposite sides of the gate for reversing the movement of the gate, the spring arms normally retaining the gate and strike arms in substantially vertical position.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT DAVID MADDOX. Witnesses:

J. B. FRANKLIN, W. R. HALLIBURTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

